Final. The end. Everyone saw how it was going to end, but when the end finally happened, no one could have predicted the pain and scars left behind. Even with the pain and bleeding hearts, there was a sense of relief, it was finally over. No more waiting, no more predicting, no more vile words, no more daggers to the heart, just peace of knowing that it was over, no more. But now that it is over, I look back and realize how much I have changed, whether it is good or bad is not relevant to me now. That’s a whole other journey yet to be had.

On the outside, the two story, yellow sided house looks like a normal everyday house. It’s hard to think otherwise with it’s luscious green grass and flagpole proudly waving the American flag; that just proves the point of never judging a book by it’s cover. The truth is on the inside, where the battles take place making it a home to a four year war.

The whole war started when my step-dad, Mark, and his ex-wife got a divorce. They have two kids, Hailey, who is two years older than me, and Cadence, who is a year younger than me. Hailey never got over the divorce so when my mom married Mark, she decided to make our lives hell. But she did not take action immediately, she bided her time. While she was waiting, I started to think of her as a sister and best friend and as any younger sibling does, I followed her around like a puppy dog. It took me five years to see her for what she really is, a liar and a manipulator.

On moment during the whole war that stands out to me as the turning point is witnessing the cruelty Hailey showed our grandmother. My grandmother’s sobs from after that moment echo through the empty house and forced their way inside my head. I don’t go to comfort her for the person she’s receiving comfort from who she really needs, her husband. I picture how she looks in my head from my room while her husband comforts her through the phone. I can picture how her face was covered in desperation and sorrow. How tears endlessly streaked down her face like a river. Hurt covers her face from the hateful words of her favorite granddaughter, Hailey.

The whole thing started because while my grandmother watched us she let Hailey have a friend over. My parents, before they left for a wedding in Jamaica, advised my grandmother to not let us have any friends over and to just spend time with us. But Hailey had guilt tripped her into letting her have a friend over because it was her 16th birthday. They kept everyone up through the night with their racket and completely disrespected my grandmother, so when my grandmother told Hailey her friend had to go she threw a fit. Hailey started cussing her out and telling my grandmother how much she hated her, which led to my grandmother slapping her. It wasn’t even a strong slap, but Hailey stormed out yelling she was going to have my grandmother arrested. Sure enough at 8 o’clock the next morning my grandmother and I were awoken to the police at our door.

It was at that moment that I had, had enough. The weight Hailey’s betrayal had settled on me (still is today) and continued to grow from there as she tried to split Mark and my mom up, and her causing Mark to breakdown from the shouts of her hatred of him.There was no more easy forgiveness, no more anything between Hailey and I. I don’t know if forgiveness is ever possible because my grandmother’s and Mark’s pain still echoes through my head today. Maybe one day if she ever owns up to the pain she has caused.